Knitted fabric.



H. A. CARTER. KNITTED FABRIC. APPLICATION FILED 1111.3, 1910.

963,864. Patented Ju1y12, 1910.

e2 es /9 .4 20 2]/ vvv v u v u u v l nhmhn n n A L LSI-...mmm 26 25 T126 lorae Ji @a wen HORACE A. CAETEn, or :NEEDHAH HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS.4

To aZZ 'whom 'it may concern? Be it known that I, HORACE A.

CARTER, a

. 4citizen ofthe United. States, residing at Needham Hei hts,

in the county of Norfolk and State of assachusetts, have invented an Improvement in `Knitted Fabric, of

which .the following description, 'in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to knitted fabrics -having gored or gusset areas.

' In order thatthe' principle of the invention may readily bejunderstood, I have dis'- closedjin the accompanying drawing cer- -tain forms of said fabric and diagrammat yically illustrated one type 'of .mechanism for producing the same.

Referringto said drawing; Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation infront elevation of mechanism for forming'the fabric em` bodying my invention; Fig, 2 is a plan view of a fabric-having m invention embodied therein; Fi -3 is a diagrammatic illustration of one rm of my invention; land Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views of further forms of stationary bearded needles and coperating sinkers ofthe well-known Cotton type.

If desired, however, the fabric 'may be formed upon various `other 'types of ma- -chines, such, forl example, as a Lamb machine," lorevenl upon circular machines.

The'invention may, be embodied in a'plain l. orribbed or other suitable fabric.

\ embodimentsof .the invention the goring courses or certain ofthem may extend into ...The fabric embodying my invention is characterized by a' gored or gusset area formed by what is sometimes `termedy wedge knitting. The fabric constructed in accordance with my Tinvention may be an abdominal belt or a knee ca or an article of underwear havmg a gore or gusset area f therein.

For convenience of'descriptioml have de- -fined the fabric as having a gored or gusset area and laterall portions, the term lateral being employed merely in contradistinction to the gored portion, although in certain the said lateral portions. The term fiat isherein employed merely in contradistincuSpecification o f Letters Patent. v vApplication mea January s, 1910. seriaino. 536,127.

` IKNITTED FABRIC.

atented July 12,1910.

' tion to the gored or concaved portion, al-

goring may thoughv to a certain extent the extend into said iat portions.

In carrying out my invention, I form a suitable number of complete courses suitably spaced [and each preferably having incorporated therewith an additional strand,- -which desirably is of rubber.A lInterspersed between the'secomplete courses I form complete or shorter courses, certain of whichy lextend into the gored or gusset area from one direction and others of whichextend inthe saidarea from the opposite direction. These shorter or gusset courses may be confined wholly to said gusset area, or, as shown in Fig. 3, may each commence at an edge of the fabric andjextendthrough one lateral portion) into and if desired through the gored area, and thence returnl to the same edge of the fabric. The next short or gusset course may commence' at the opposite edge of the fabric, andextend into and if dcsired through the gored area and return insimilar manner to that edge of the fabric from which the last preceding course started. Aknitted fabric thus formed will have incourses may be all of the same length, in which case their inner terminals would dethe gusset portion would be sharply complete courses which .overlap each other' to form the gusset area. These incomplete trasted with the flatv portions, or the income plete courses may be' of varying length, in which case. there will be a gradual merging of the gusset portion into the so-called flat portions. Sultable variations of either of these forms of my invention may be employed.

Referring tothe drawingQI have in Fig. 1 diagrammatically represented at 1 a series of needles which may be arranged in a hori-- zontal stationary series and be of the well vknown bearded type. The `'coperating`si1'1k.`

ers are represented at 2 as alternating with said. needles. The usual knitting threadl is introduced 5through a yarn guide 3 carried by a reciprocatory bar 4, and the supple.

mental and preferably lrubber thread is introduced by a yarn guide 5 carriedby a reciprocatory bar 6. The thread guides 3 and 5 are arranged at substantially right angles with the plane of the needles and are so positionedas at the proper time to introduce the thread or yarn to the beards thereof.

If the fabrlc have a plain portion, the

' by introducing .series of points positioned knitting may proceed in the usual manner the knitting yarn through the guide. 3, which is moved to and fro in the well-known manner not herein necessary to describe. `When, however, it is desired to form a gusset or gored area, the yarn guide 3 is moved across the' bank of needles, say from right to left, viewing Fig. 1, so as to form a complete course. I incorporate an independent 'and preferably a rubber thread into said complete course in any suitable manner. This may be done by employing a and in substantial parallelism with the needles and' moved forward by suitable mechanism so as to pass under alternate loops just laid in said complete course and upon further movement -of said points to stretch or lift them from the needles, thus dividing said loops so as to permit the rubber thread is thus buried between the loops,

- of said bank of needles.

so that it does not appear upon either face of the fabric but is preferably substantially Wholly covered by the loops thereof upon both sides.

In Fig. 3, I have diagrammatically illustrated the first complete knitted course by the irregular line 7 and the incorporated rubber strand by the straight line 8. This course, as shown, extends entirely across the `fabric in this embodiment of the invention. The yarn guide 5 carrying the rubber'thread and starting from the point 9, having traversed the entire bank of needles to the point 10 remains stationary att-he left hand side The yarn guide 3 is next moved to the right to form the short course 11, this course terminatingat the point 12, and thus defining one border of4 the gusset area.

The yarn guide 3 is then returned to the left, viewing Fig. 3, to form the next incomplete course 13. Thus, the

incomplete courses 114 and 13.extend from i the edge 10 of the fabric through to the point 12, which .indicates one border -of the sset area. After the formation of the incomplete course 13,' the` yarn guide 3, which is then at the left hand edge 10 of the fabric, moves entirely across the same to form the complete course 14 and immediately following-the formation Vof said complete course the yarn guide' 5' moves -from in advance of rubber thread into the fabric.-

left to right, so as to incorporate with said complete course 14 the rubber strand 15. The said thread guide 5 then remains stationary at the right hand side 9 of the fabric, and the yarn guide 3 then moves to the left to form the incomplete course 16, this course extending to the point 17 which defines the opposite border of the gusset area. The said yarn guide 3 is then returned to the right forming the next incomplete course 18, which extends to the edge 9 of the fabric, and thus completes one cycle of operation. That part of the fabric extending between the points 9 and 1Q, I have defined as one. l

lateral portion, that extending between the pointsl and 10 I have defined as another lateral portion, and that extending between the points k12 and 17 I have` defined as a gored or gusset area.

The cycle of operations thus described is repeated to the desired extentand in this manner is produced a fabric having a concaved or gusset or gored area. It is apparent that the rubber thread is continuous and merely remains quiescent at one side or the other of the fabric during the formation of the incomplete course.

I have described the introduction of a rubberthread with .or into the complete courses. i If desired, however, I may introduce merely an independent yarn, or in certain embodiments of the mventlon I need not introduce any additional thread but merely form ya complete course of knitting with the yarn guide 3 and the described incomplete courses with the same yarn guide.

Preferably, however, I prefer to incorporate the rubber thread, inasmuch asit gives suitable elasticity to the fabric.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated a slightly modified form of my invention, in which the incomplete courses are wholly confined to the gusset area. In said figure, the incomplete course 19 is formed by'movement of the yarn guide 3 from left to right, and thev succeeding course :20 by movement in the opposite direction. After the"introduc tion of thevcomplete course 21, there is then formed an incomplete course .22 by move- Ament of the yarn guide 3 from right to left,

and the complete course 23 by movement I thereof, from left to `right as indicated. Therefore, in the fabric shown in Fig. 4, the

`, shorter or incomplete courses do not extend to the selvages of the fabric.

In that form of my invention shown in Fig. 5, the vconstruction is substantially similar to thatshown in Fig. 4,'with the exception that the shorter courses are not of equal length. Afterlthe formation of a complete course 24 by movement of the yarn guide3 from left to right, there is then formedl an incomplete course 25 by movement 0f the Ayarn guide 3 from right to left, and a succeeding'incomplete course 26 by movement of said 1 yarn guide from left. to right. Succeeding shorter courses into which said rubber strands the formation of a complete course 26', there do not enter, a portion of -which shorter is then formed a short incomplete course 27 courses extend throughout one of said flat and asucceediiig incomplete course 28. This portions only and thence extend into and 60` cycle of operations may then be followed by return from said gored area, and others of `other complete and incomplete courses, and which shorter courses extend throughout the the incomplete courses may be of varying said otherflat portion only and thence exlength throughout. tendl into and return from said gored area.

In each form of Athe invention, the in- 4. An elastic knit web having selvages, 65 complete courses may be of equal length or normal sections, and sections widened in the varying length, and this variation may be direction of the wales, said fabric compris' in accordance with any predetermined plan ing knitting yarns and included rubber weft i or pattern as may be required for any paryarns said weft yarns being continuous from ticular variety of goods. selvage to selvage but said widened sections 70` l5 It is apparent that the shortercourses may comprising a greater number of courses of plete course.

` sections, and sections widened in the direcgusset area between lateral Hat portions,

. 'yarns being continuous from selvage to sel-4 tions and the gored area,l and having anv Q a-greater number of courses of the knitting with, and interpersed shorter courses into 40 courses extendingthroughout said Hat porgusset area and a lateral fiat portion, said 'bei' strands do not enter, a portion of which strands other than that constituting said 100 be commenced at points notthe selvages of .the knitting yarn only than the normal secthe. fabric by inserting or elevating the yarn tions comprise. guide^3 between the needles at that point 5. A knitted 4fabric having a gored or where it is desired t0 commence an incomgusset area between lateral fiat portions, 75

said fabric being characterized by spaced Having thus described one illustrative coursesextending throughout said flat porembodinientof my invention, I desire it to tionsand the gored area, and having a be understood that although specific terms .strand or strands other than that constitutare employed, they are used in a generic and ing said spaced courses incorporated there- `80 25 descriptive sense and not for purposes of with, and interspersed shorter-courses into limitation, the scope of the invention being which said other strand or strands do not set forth in the following claims. enter, said shorter courses pertaining to said Claims. `gored area. Y

1. A knit web having selvages, normal 6. A knitted fabric having a gored or 85 tion .of the wales, said fabric comprisin said fabric being characterized by spaced knitting yarns and weft yarns, said we t courses extending throughoutsaid flat porvage, but said widened sec ions comprising elastic strand or strands incorporated there- 90 yarn than the normal sections comprise. which said elastic strand or strands do not 2L A knitted fabric having av gored or enter, said shorter courses pertaining to saimd gusset area between lateral Hat portions, gored area.

said fabric being characterized by* spacedl 7. A knitted fabric having a gored or 95 tions and the gored area and having rubber: fabric being characterized by spaced courses strands incorporated therewith, and interextending throughout said. flat portion and spersed shorter courses intowhich said rubthe gored area, and having a strand or shorter courses pertain to one of'said flat) spaced courses incorporated therewit and .portions only, and thence extend into and interspersed shorter courses intowhi'ch said return from said gored area and others of separate strand'or strands do not enter, said which shorter courses pertain to said other shorter courses pertaining tosaid gored area. iatportion only and thence extend 'intoand In testimony whereof, I have signed my 105 return from said goredarea. g name to this specification, in the presence of f I 3. 4A knitted fabric halv-iiiig'a goredyor gus two subscribing witnesses.

set area between latera` atl ortionsv sai f fabric being characterized by slpaced cdurses HORACE A' CARTER I l extending throughout said flatvportions and [Witnesses: V f gored area )and having rubber strands in vFRED WHITHER,

corporatedl therewith, and Vinterspersed Lrzzm GRAVES. 

